This invention relates to building systems which largely replace concrete, whether ready-mix concrete or pre-fabricated concrete blocks, or other pre-fabricated concrete products, in construction projects. In general, the invention replaces the concrete in below-grade frost walls and foundation walls, in above-grade walls, in concrete footers, and in post pads. Such concrete structures are replaced, in the invention, with structures based on resin-impregnated, fiber-based layers, as composite materials, also known as fiber-reinforced polymer materials (FRP). Such structures optionally include insulating foam, and optionally include regularly-spaced “studs”, especially in upright wall sections. Thus, with the exception of concrete flat work such as concrete floors, the conventional ready-mix concrete truck is not needed at the construction site.
In conventional foundation construction, first a concrete footer is formed and poured using ready-mix concrete. After the poured concrete footer has cured to a sufficient degree, such as a few days later, concrete forms, e.g. 4-8 feet high, are brought in, assembled on site, and erected on top of the footer. Ready-mix concrete is then poured, from a ready-mix truck, into the forms and allowed to set up and cure, to thus create the foundation walls, or a frost wall if no basement is planned.
In the alternative, and still addressing conventional foundation construction, the upright portion of the foundation wall can be built using pre-fabricated concrete masonry units (cmu's) and mortar, typically supported by conventional poured concrete footers.
In yet another conventional type construction, the frost walls or foundation walls are built using mortared concrete blocks.
In any event, in such conventional structures, as the concrete is being finished at the tops of the forms, or at the top course of concrete blocks, bolts or other hold-down anchors are partially embedded in the setting-up concrete or mortar such that the anchors extend from the top of the foundation wall and, once the poured concrete, or mortar, has set up, such anchors serve as hold-down anchors, for example to mount a top plate to the top of the foundation wall, thus to anchor the overlying building structure to the foundation or frost wall. Once the concrete in a conventionally-poured foundation wall sets up, the forms are removed, e.g. 1-2 days after the ready-mix concrete is poured into the forms, and a wood, or wood-product, or other top plate is anchored to the top of the concrete foundation wall, using the anchors which are embedded in the concrete at the top of the concrete foundation wall. A similar waiting time is needed with a mortared concrete block wall, before the top plate is anchored to the top of the so fabricated wall.
The above-noted poured concrete wall construction process, and concrete block construction process, both require a substantial quantity of concrete materials, investment in forms, substantial on-site labor and several days of time to fabricate the building foundation on which the ground floor of the building can then be erected. If construction is done in winter in a northern climate, the concrete is typically heated in order to facilitate curing of the concrete.
In addition, a resulting such concrete foundation wall is permeable to water and so must be water-proofed though, even after a conventional water-proofing coating has been applied to make the foundation wall water-proof, water leakage through such concrete foundation wall, whether ready-mix wall or concrete block wall, is rather common. Further, a concrete wall is a good heat conductor, and thus should be insulated to avoid heat loss by conduction through the concrete to the soil or other fill which surrounds the building. However, the affect of such insulation is limited because only relatively thin insulation materials are commonly used with underground concrete wall construction.
Yet further, if the level of the building inside the concrete wall is to be inhabited, whether below grade, e.g. foundation wall, or above grade, then stud furring e.g. 2×4 studs or 2×6 studs are typically attached to the concrete wall as a substrate which facilitates installation of insulation and utilities, and serves as a substrate for installing a finished interior wall surface such as drywall or paneling. Such furring takes up interior space inside the building as well as costing additional time and money to install.
The overall time required to construct such building foundation can be reduced by fabricating concrete walls off-site and erecting the fabricated walls in place on site, using a crane. However, each such wall element must be custom-designed, adding to the cost; and mechanical lifting equipment, e.g. the crane, must be brought to the construction site.
Getting foundation walls installed in a timely manner, to accommodate timely delivery of constructed homes and other buildings to buyers, is a significant issue in the construction business. There are many reasons why foundations are not installed in accord with a planned schedule. A substantial such problem is the weather. The weather in northern climates can be below freezing for several months of the year, which makes it difficult to get foundations installed. In addition, installing quality concrete foundation walls requires skilled labor, as well as skilled subcontractors, including the subcontractors' skilled labor.
Another known method of constructing structural walls is the use of Insulated Concrete Form (ICF) walls. In such construction, insulated forms are erected on the footers, and receive ready-mix poured concrete. After curing, the outer portions of the forms are left as a layer of thermal insulation between the concrete and at least one of the inner and outer surfaces of the resulting wall. Although ICF walls do offer a relatively higher level of thermal insulation than a conventional uninsulated concrete wall, an ICF wall is typically more expensive than a plain concrete wall, and is more difficult to finish than a plain concrete wall, whether finishing the insulated interior of the wall or the insulated exterior of the wall.
Yet another alternative conventional foundation wall system is constructed of wood which has been treated to inhibit decay, and corresponding decomposition of the wood. Such treated wood is well known and is conventionally available. Such foundation walls typically include at least a bottom plate, and can be wrapped in plastic and then set on an aggregate stone footer. Wood foundations have a number of advantages, including enabling a manufacturer of such wood foundations to fabricate sections of such wall in the closed and controlled environment of a manufacturing facility, whereby selling and delivering such product is generally insensitive to weather conditions. Further, wood offers beneficial speed in constructing a building.
The primary problem with wood foundations is that wood foundations are not well received by the consuming public, as the public does not perceive quality in a building where wood is used in a below-grade application.
There is a need, in the construction industry, for light weight structural building panels, for example generally continuous wall panels of any desired length up to a maximum length per panel, selectable in length, in height, and in thickness, which structural building panels can be used in applications where concrete is conventionally used in residential, light commercial, and light industrial construction, and which structural building panels are strong enough to bear both the compressive loads and the lateral loads which are typically imposed on such concrete walls in a building structure.
There is also a need for walls which have superior moisture and water barrier properties.
There is yet further a need for walls which can be installed so as to be ready to support overlying building structure in a shorter period of time.
There is still further a need for walls which can be installed at a lower life cycle cost.
These and other needs are alleviated, or at least attenuated, by the novel construction products and methods of the invention.